Curtain-stretcher.



B. SCHENK.

CURTAIN STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED NOVJO, 1909.

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CURTAIN STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1909.

Patented 001;, 22, 1912.

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CURTAIN STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1909.

Patented 001;. 22, 1912.

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CURTAIN -STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 22,1912.

Application filed November 10, 1909. Serial No. 527,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTHA ScHENK a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inCurtain-Stretchers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to curtain stretchers, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to provide a curtain stretcher of simpleconstruction which can be'rea dily folded into a small space'for storageor shipping, and which can be quickly extended and set up for use.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a curtain stretcherhaving hinged props for holding the frame at an inclination to quicklydry the curtain stretched thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a stretcher framehaving hinges at the sides and ends and guides in which the side membersare mounted to permit quick adjustment of the frame to the length ofourtain desired to be stretched, the end members being hinged to foldinwardly while the side members fold together.

These and other objects may be attained I by means of the constructionillustrated in side bars A and B. The side bar A the accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the underside of a curtain stretcher made inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the stretcher set up and supported byprops fordrying the curtain. Fig. 4 is a View of the folded stretchershowing the props thrown up next to the stretcher frame. Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view taken through one of the side rails of thestretcher on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional viewtaken through one of the side rails of the stretcher on line 66 ofFig. 1. Fig. 7 is adetail sectional view showing one of the cornerbraces. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken at rightangles to Fig. 7. Fig.9 is a plan view of the guide member. I

My improved curtain stretcher comprises is preferably formed of thesections 1 and 1 which are hingedly connected with each other at theirinner ends, as at 2, the said hinge being located on the underside ofthe stretcherframe, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

struction with the sections 1 and 1 just do scribed, and as illustrated,they are connected with each other at their inner ends by a hinge 2. Thesections of the side bars A and B are of dovetail construction, cross'sectionally, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

End bars C and D are provided, being identically constructed, and asshown, the bar C is formed of sections 11 and 11:. The

section 11 is pivoted by an eye-bolt 11 to.

a plate 11 which is secured to a guide member 5. This guide member isformed to provide a longitudinally extending dovetailed groove in whichone end of the section 1 of the side bar A is slidably fitted. 'Thedovetailed groove opens onto one side of the guide member 5 and on theopposite side of the guide member is formed a longitudinal slot 7. Thisslot and the guide groove open onto one end of the member 5 so as topermit the section 1 to be removed from the guide member as will. behereinafter explained. At one side'the section 1 is pro vided with awasher-plate 3 and extending through the plate and through the section 1and the slot 7 is a clamping bolt 8 which is provided at one side with aclamping nut 9 which is designed to be clamped against the guide memberso as to hold the same and the section 1 against relative movements. Thesection 1 of the sidebar B is fitted in the dovetailed groove in theguide member 5. A guide bracket 12 provided with slotted feet 13 issecured to the guide members 5 through which the outer end of thesection 11 is slidable at right angles to the section 1 of the said sidebar B. A clamping bolt 10 extends through the section 1? and through thelongitudinal slot 11 in the section 11 of the end member C. The bolt 10is provided at one side with a suitable clamping nut which maybeadjusted to bear. against the guide bracket so as to hold the section11 in its adjusted position therein.

The end bar D is constructed in a manner identical with the end bar Cand the sections 11 and 11* thereof are hingedly connected with eachother, as at 16, and they are connected with the guide members 5? and 5in a manner identical with the connection described between the sections11 and 11 and the guide members 5 and 5, the said these bars, as shown.When it is desired to fold the frame for storage or for like purposesthe side bar A is removed from the guide members 5 and 5 Aft-er thisoperation the sections 1 and 1 of the bar A are folded on each other.The sections 1 and 1 of the companion bar 13 are correspondingly foldedon each other. The end bars C and D can then be independently folded. Asan illustration, and with reference to the end bar C, it may bedescribed that'the sections 11 and 11 thereof may be folded against eachother, after which, the section 11' can be moved on the eye-bolt 11 sothat the sections 11 and 11 and the guide member 5 are superimposed. Itwill of course be understood that the end bar D and the guide member 5are correspondingly folded. When the parts are all folded, as described,

they assume a very small and compact package and will take up verysmall. space in storage or shipment.

The eye-bolts 11 are pivotally connected, as at 19, with props 18. Onreference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that these propsare arranged vertically so as to hold the stretching frame at an angleto the surface on which it is supported. This arrangement provides for aperfect exposure of the curtain to the wind and the sun.

The guide members hereinbefore described and the sections of the sideand end bars are provided with suitable pins 21 with which the curtainto be stretched can be engaged.

1. A curtain stretcher comprising sectional side bars hingedly connectedtogether, and sectional end bars hingedly connected together, each ofthe sections of the said side bars having their outer ends of adovetailed construction, guide members slidably fitted on the saiddovetail portions and connecting the said end bars and side bars witheach other, the said guide members being formed to provide alongitudinally extending dovetail groove which open onto one side of themember and adapted to slidably receive the said dovetail portions, theopposite side of the said members being formed to provide longitudinallyextending slots communicating with the said dovetail grooves, and meansextended through the sections and through the slots to retain the saidsections against movement in the said guide members.

2. A curtain stretcher comprising foldable side bars and foldable endbars, guide members slidably mounted on the outer ends of the said sidebars and connecting the end bars and side bars with each other, a secondguide member mounted on the outer end I and at one side ofthe firstmentioned member and adapted to slidably receive the said end bars, andretaining elements extending through the bars and through both the saidguide members substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERTHA SOHENK.

Witnesses A. F. HOFFMAN, S. LEO RUSLANDER.

